


A Pet For The Bookshop

by anotherfngrl



Category: Good Omens (TV)
Genre: Aziraphale Loves Crowley (Good Omens), Aziraphale's Bookshop (Good Omens), Bookshop Snake Crowley (Good Omens), Caring Aziraphale (Good Omens), Crowley Loves Aziraphale (Good Omens), Gen, Snake Crowley (Good Omens)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-27
Updated: 2020-09-27
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:02:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26683381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anotherfngrl/pseuds/anotherfngrl
Summary: Crowley decides the bookshop needs a pet.
Relationships: Aziraphale & Crowley (Good Omens), Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 94
Collections: Bite Sized Bits of Fic from 2020





	A Pet For The Bookshop

**Author's Note:**

> For a comment!fic prompt!

It starts as a strategy some time in the eighties. The 1980's, to be specific. Gabriel had quite fancied the "Executive Lifestyle" trainings and retreats of the decade and become, to quote Crowley, "even more douchey than usual."

He'd taken to dropping into the bookshop regularly, talking about workforce synergy and trying to get Aziraphale to wear pink.

This was inconvenient both because Aziraphale was quite happy in his cream and blue and because since they made up after the holy water debacle decades prior, Crowley had taken to lounging about the shop keeping Aziraphale company when he was bored.

Lingering demonic energy could be explained away as Aziraphale hunting down damned texts and cleansing them. An actual demon upside down on the settee bitching about his day could not.

They'd tried more distance, but found they quite missed one another, even after only a few decades of frequent interaction. Then Crowley had arrived one day, alight with an idea.

"The bookshop needs a pet!" he'd told Aziraphale eagerly.

Aziraphale wasn't quite sure what he was so excited about. "I kept a cat in the mid 1800's. I suppose I could again," he agreed.

"What? No. It would eat me!" Crowley told him, looking affronted.

Aziraphale was now quite confused. Did Crowley not know about domesticated felines? "Not a lion, dear one, a common house cat. As a pet."

Crowley frowned at him. "No," he said slowly, "You need a pet  _ snake. _ As an occasional pet. Only when he feels like hanging about. Free range pet ownership."

Understanding dawns for Aziraphale. "Ah. Yes, I had been thinking the place was a bit lonely, of late. A pet snake would be just ideal. Independent but companionable."

Whatever Crowley was going to say next was cut off when the bell tinkled an arriving customer and Crowley promptly turned into a snake.

It turned out to just be someone from the neighborhood wanting a copy of  Christine , and Aziraphale, who had taken to stocking a few best sellers to keep people away from the important books, helped her. As he was ringing the girl up, she noticed Crowley.

"Oh, what a gorgeous snake, Mr. Fell! I didn't realize you kept a pet," she said. "Does he bite?"

"Of course not," Aziraphale says, affronted. People are always assuming Crowley is dangerous or harmful just because he's a demon, or at the moment a snake, and he despairs of it.

Amanda reaches out to stroke Crowley's long back and the snake freezes, lowering its head in discomfort. Aziraphale thinks fast. "I have, however, noticed a strange rash whenever I pet him. I do believe he may be mildly poisonous to the touch. I need to look into that!" he says cheerily, as Amanda drops her hand, quickly taking her book and departing.

Snake Crowley hanging around the bookshop turns out to be a blessing for many reasons. Neither of them has to be lonely, Crowley gets time to just  _ be, _ away from the hustle and bustle and showmanship of his job (Crowley, like Gabriel, is  _ thriving _ in the vapid culture of the 1980's), and, as it turns out, keeping a snake as a pet is a quite good way to deter overeager customers.

Crowley takes to slithering over to protect Aziraphale's favorite books when a customer gets too close, herding them back to the sections the angel is willing to part with.

Aziraphale buys a heat lamp for his desk and takes to keeping the windows wide on sunny days, quietly moving the books more prone to fading away from the area and leaving a soft pillow for Crowley to sun on.

And snakes need love and warmth just as much as any of God's creatures, so some rare, peaceful afternoons Aziraphale can be found lounging on his sofa, reading aloud to a snake happily curled up on his lap.

Even once Gabriel's visits taper off, many afternoons find Crowley hiding from the world in the bookshop, coiled and content to be with his angel.


End file.
